Antibody Fc Mutants with Ablated Effector Functions

ABSTRACT

Antibody and other Fc-containing molecules with variations in the Fc region with reduced binding to Fc gamma receptors and resulting activity and can be used in the treatment of various diseases and disorders.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional application of U.S. application Ser.No. 16/037,304, filed 17 Jul. 2018, currently allowed, which is adivisional application of Ser. No. 14/818,864, filed 5 Aug. 2015, nowU.S. Pat. No. 10,053,513, issued 21 Aug. 2018, which is aContinuation-in-Part of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/597,690, filed 15Jan. 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,637,549, issued 2 May 2017, which is adivisional of the U.S. application Ser. No. 12/955,240, filed 29 Nov.2010, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,961,967, issued 24 Feb. 2015, which claims thebenefit of the U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/265,079, filed30 Nov. 2009, the entire contents of which are incorporated hereby byreference in their entireties.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to human antibody IgG2 constant regions (Fcregions) mutated such that they substantially lose the capacity tospecifically bind Fcγ receptors or activate mitogenic responses byimmune cells by Fc receptor mediated cross-linking of surface targetantigens. The invention also provides novel antibodies into which themutated IgG2 constant regions can be incorporated.

The invention also relates to human antibody IgG1 and IgG4 Fc regionsmutated such that they substantially lose the capacity to specificallybind Fcγ receptors.

DISCUSSION OF THE FIELD

Antibodies that target cell surface antigens trigger unwantedimmunostimulatory and effector functions associated with Fc receptor(FcR) engagement on immune cells and the activation of complement. Astherapeutic antibodies and Fc-fusion constructs intended to target andactivate or neutralize target ligand functions but not damage or destroylocal cells or tissues that are needed, Fc mutants with ablated effectorfunctions have been sought.

Human IgG isotypes (the subclasses of mature gamma globulin class Gantibodies; IgG1, IgG2, IgG3 and IgG4) exhibit differential capacity torecruit immune functions, such as antibody-dependent cellularcytotoxicity (ADCC, e.g., IgG1 and IgG3), antibody-dependent cellularphagocytosis (ADCP, e.g., IgG1, IgG2, IgG3 and IgG4), and complementdependent cytotoxicity (CDC, e.g., IgG1, IgG3). Isotype-specificengagement of such immune functions is based on selectivity for Fcreceptors on distinct immune cells and the ability to bind C1q andactivate the assembly of a membrane attack complex (MAC). Among thevarious isotypes, relative affinity for Fcγ receptors (e.g., FcγRI,FcγRIIa/b/c, FcγRIIIa/b) is high for IgG1 and IgG3, however, there isminimal affinity for IgG2 (restricted to the FcγRIIa 131H polymorphism),and IgG4 only has measurable affinity for FcγRI. Using comparativesequence analysis and co-crystal structures, the key contact residuesfor receptor binding have been mapped to the amino acid residuesspanning the lower hinge and CH2 region. Using standard proteinengineering techniques, some success in enhancing or reducing theaffinity of an antibody preparation for Fc receptors and the C1qcomponent of complement has been achieved.

Among the isotypes, IgG2 is least capable of binding the family of Fcreceptors. Using IgG2 as the starting point, efforts have been made tofind a mutagen with diminished effector functions but which retains FcRnbinding, prolonged stability, and low immunogenicity. Improved mutantsof this nature may provide improved antibody therapeutics with retainedsafety.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides the compositions of modified,glycosylated immunoglobulin constant domains useful in engineering ofantibody or antibody-like therapeutics, such as those comprising an Fcregion, and targeting cell surface ligands. The composition of theinvention is an IgG2 Fc mutant exhibiting diminished FcγR bindingcapacity but having conserved FcRn binding. These IgG Fc mutants enabletherapeutic targeting of soluble or cell surface antigens whileminimizing Fc-associated engagement of immune effector function andcomplement mediated cytotoxicity. In one aspect, the IgG2 Fc mutantcomprises V234A, G237A, P238S according to the EU numbering system. Inanother aspect, the IgG2 Fc mutant comprises V234A, G237A, H268Q orH268A, V309L, A330S, P331S according to the EU numbering system. In aparticular aspect, the IgG2 Fc mutant comprises V234A, G237A, P238S,H268A, V309L, A330S, P331S, and, optionally, P233S according to the EUnumbering system.

In one embodiment, the IgG2 Fc mutant compositions are used inindications where retention of therapeutic antibody (or Fc-fusion)half-life is conserved through interactions with FcRn, while potentialtoxicity derived from activation of FcγRs associated with immune andeffector functions such as i) antibody dependent cytotoxicity (ADCC),ii) complement dependent cytotoxicity (CDC), iii) antibody dependentcellular phagocytosis (ADCP), iv) FcR-mediated cellular activation (e.g.cytokine release through FcR cross-linking), and v) FcR-mediatedplatelet activation/depletion is minimized or eliminated. In one aspect,the IgG2 Fc mutations are incorporated into therapeutic antibodies orFc-fusions of binders, such as multivalent binders, targeting ligands oncells involved in neurological disorders, such as basal cell ganglion;immune system disorders such as those related to B-cell or T-cellactivation, or to cells involved in tissue repair or healing, such asfibroblasts or stem cells.

In another embodiment, the IgG2 Fc mutant comprises a pharmaceuticalcomposition. In another embodiment the IgG2 Fc mutant comprises aportion of a pharmaceutically active molecule. The pharmaceuticalcompositions comprising the IgG2 Fc mutant or active IgG2 Fcmutant-comprising molecules are useful for the treatment of diseasescharacterized by the migration and concentration of macrophages ormonocytes. In one aspect, the IgG2 Fc mutant-comprising molecules areuseful for binding a target within a neurological tissue, an endocrinetissue, a vascular tissue, a cardiac tissue, a synovial tissue, a dermaltissue, or a mucosal tissue. One of the many uses of the IgG2 Fc mutantsof the invention is in the treatment of Graft-v.-host disease;host-v.-graft disease; organ transplant rejection; bone-marrowtransplant rejection; autoimmunity such as vasculitis, autoimmunehaemolytic anaemia, autoimmune thrombocytopenia and arthritis;alloimmunity, such as fetal/neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia; asthmaand allergy; chronic or acute inflammatory diseases such as Crohn'sDisease or scleroderma; Alzheimer's Disease, coronary artery occlusion.

The present invention provides an isolated Fc-containing molecule havingdecreased affinity for at least one Fcγ receptor (FcγR) as compared toan Fc-containing molecule with a wild type Fc domain, comprising amutated IgG1 or IgG4 Fc domain comprising mutations L235A, G237A andP238A, residue numbering according to the EU numbering system.

The present invention also provides an isolated recombinant polypeptidecomprising (a) a binding domain capable of binding a target molecule;and (b) an Fc domain comprising a mutated IgG1 constant domaincomprising mutations L234A, L235A, G237A, P238A, H268A, A330S and P331S;or a mutated IgG4 constant domain comprising mutations S228P, F234A,L235A, G237A, P238A, and, optionally, G236 deletion wherein the bindingmolecule is capable of binding the target molecule without triggeringsignificant complement dependent lysis or cell mediated destruction ofthe target.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an alignment of the amino acid sequences of wild type humanIgG2 (SEQ ID NO: 1), IgG4 (SEQ ID NO: 2), and IgG1 (SEQ ID NO: 3)showing the corresponding EU numbering for each residue; the hingeregion of the IgG2 begins at EU residue 218.

FIG. 2 shows the structure of an Fc fragment showing the surfacepositions of the residues modified (EU numbering).

FIGS. 3A-C are graphs showing the competition of each isotype and mutantconstructed as an anti-Her2/neu binding antibody with antibody of thehuman IgG1 wildtype isotype using the ALPHASCREEN® bead assay platform:FcgRI (not shown), FcgRIIa (A), FcgRIIb (B), FcgRIIIa (not shown), andFcRn (C).

FIGS. 4A-C are graphs showing the direct binding of each isotype andmutant constructed as an anti-Her2/neu binding antibody using theALPHASCREEN® bead assay: FcgRIIIa (A), FcgRI (B), and FcgRIIa (C).

FIG. 5 shows the results of an ADCC assay and selected isotypes andmutants constructed as an anti-Her2/neu binding antibody and using humanPBMCs (25× excess) and SK-Br3 breast cancer cells as targets.

FIG. 6 shows the results of a CDC assay of selected anti-CD20 constructsusing human complement and WIL2-S lymphoma cells as targets.

FIG. 7 shows the results of an ADCP assay from a flow cytometry analysisof selected anti-Her2/neu constructs using Sk-Br3 target cells andGM-CSF-differentiated macrophages.

FIG. 8 is a graph showing the cytokine (TNFα) release from 24 hoursafter stimulation of PBMCs with beads bound to IgG isotypes for variousconstructs, including IgG2 wildtype and six mutants.

FIG. 9 is a graph of the mean circulating B-cell numbers over time ingroups of cynomologous monkeys injected with anti-CD20 binding domainantibody constructs with various Fc regions or lacking an Fc-region(Fab′)2.

FIG. 10A shows competitive binding of indicated Fc mutants torecombinant FcγRI. Fc mutants were constructed as anti-TNFα bindingantibodies using wild type IgG1 framework.

FIG. 10B shows competitive binding of indicated Fc mutants torecombinant FcγRIIa-H131 (high-affinity FcγRIIa variant). Fc mutantswere constructed as anti-TNFα binding antibodies using wild type IgG1framework.

FIG. 10C shows competitive binding of indicated Fc mutants torecombinant FcγRIIa-R131 (low-affinity FcγRIIa variant). Fc mutants wereconstructed as anti-TNFα binding antibodies using wild type IgG1framework.

FIG. 10D shows competitive binding of indicated Fc mutants torecombinant FcγRIIb. Fc mutants were constructed as anti-TNFα bindingantibodies using wild type IgG1 framework.

FIG. 10E shows competitive binding of indicated Fc mutants torecombinant FcγRIIIa-V158 (high-affinity FcγRIIIa variant). Fc mutantswere constructed as anti-TNFα binding antibodies using wild type IgG1framework.

FIG. 10F shows competitive binding of indicated Fc mutants torecombinant FcγRIIIb. Fc mutants were constructed as anti-TNFα bindingantibodies using wild type IgG1 framework.

FIG. 11 shows the results of antibody-dependent cell-mediatedcytotoxicity (ADCC) assays (combined data from 6 experiments). Titratingamounts of test antibodies (wild type IgG1, anti-Respiratory SyncytialVirus (RSV) negative control B21M IgG1, IgG1σ, IgG4σ1, and IgG4σ2) wereadded to K2 cells, followed by addition of human PBMC immune effectorcells. The extent of target cell lysis, as measured by DELFIA®cytotoxicity assay (PerkinElmer), was quantitated after 2 h. Sampleswere tested in duplicates for each individual experiment. In thecombined data shown here, each point represents the mean of 10donors±SEM.

FIG. 12 shows the results of complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC)assays. K2 mouse myeloma cells expressing a transmembrane form of humanTNF (that had been mutated to be stably expressed on the cell surface)were incubated with varying concentrations of test antibody and rabbitcomplement, and then cell viability was measured using a SPECTRAMAX®Plus 384 (PerkinElmer). Error bars represent SEM from samples analyzedin triplicate.

FIG. 13 shows the results of in vivo T cell activation by IgG194 ,relative to wild the type IgG1. FcγR-humanized mice, homozygous andhemizygous, and mice lacking FcγRs (null) were injectedintraperitoneally with a 0.5 mg/kg dose of either huG1σ or wild typeIgG1. After 24 h, spleens were collected from each mouse and the percentof CD8+ cells that stained positive for CD25 was measured by flowcytometric analyses. Error bars represent SEM from samples analyzed intriplicate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEQUENCE LISTING

SEQ ID NO: Description Features 1 IgG2 - Fc; Human Ig gamma Residue 1corresponds to EU class, subclass 2 hinge, 218, residues 13-17 may beCH2 and CH3 domains PVAGP (wt), PAAAP, PAAAS, and SAAAS; Residue 47 maybe May be H (wt), Q, or A; residue 109-110 may be AP (wt) or SS. 2 IgG4-Fc; Human Ig gamma Residue 1 corresponds to EU class, subclass 4, hinge,218 CH2 and CH3 domains 3 IgG1- Fc; Human Ig gamma Residue 1 correspondsto EU class, subclass, hinge, 218 CH2 and CH3 domains 4 PAAAP mutatedIgG constant region residues 233, 234, 235, 237, and 238 5 PAAAS mutatedIgG constant region residues 233, 234, 235, 237, and 238 6 SAAAS mutatedIgG constant region residues 233, 234, 235, 237, and 238 7 Anti-TNFαantibody, heavy chain, variable domain 8 Anti-TNFα antibody, lightchain, variable domain

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Abbreviations

ADCC=antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity; ADCP, antibody-dependentcellular phagocytosis; CDC=complement-dependent cytotoxicity;IgG=immunoglobulin G; ITAM=immunoreceptor tyrosine activating motif;ITIM=immunoreceptor tyrosine inhibitory motif; Mab=monoclonal antibody;FDCR=Fc-dependent cytokine release; FcγR, FcgR, or FcgammaR=Fc gammareceptor

Definitions & Explanation of Terminology

“Antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity” or ADCC″ refers to aform of cytotoxicity in which secreted Ig bound onto Fc receptors (FcRs)present on certain cytotoxic cells (e.g., Natural Killer (NK) cells,neutrophils, and macrophages) that enables these cytotoxic effectorcells to bind specifically to an antigen-bearing target cell andsubsequently kill the target cell with cytotoxins. Ligand specifichigh-affinity IgG antibodies directed to the surface of target cellsstimulate the cytotoxic cells and are absolutely required for suchkilling. Lysis of the target cell is extracellular, requires directcell-to-cell contact, and does not involve complement.

The ability of any particular antibody to mediate lysis of the targetcell by ADCC can be assayed. To assess ADCC activity, an antibody ofinterest is added to target cells displaying the target ligand incombination with immune effector cells, which may be activated by theantigen antibody complexes resulting in cytolysis of the target cell.Cytolysis is generally detected by the release of label (e.g.,radioactive substrates, fluorescent dyes or natural intracellularproteins) from the lysed cells. Useful effector cells for such assaysinclude peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and Natural Killer(NK) cells. Specific examples of in vitro ADCC assays are described inWisecarver et al, 1985, 19:211; Bruggemann et al, 1987, J Exp Med166:1351; Wilkinson et al, 2001, J Immunol Methods 258:183; Patel et al,1995 J Immunol Methods 184:29 (each of which is incorporated byreference). Alternatively, or additionally, ADCC activity of theantibody of interest may be assessed in vivo, e.g., in an animal model,such as that disclosed in Clynes et al, 1998, PNAS USA 95:652, thecontents of which are incorporated by reference in its entirety.

“Complement-directed cytotoxicity” or CDC refers to the form ofcytotoxicity in which the complement cascade is activated by thecomplement component C1q binding to antibody Fc.

“Reduced ADCC”, “reduced CDC” and “reduced ADCP” refers toantibody-induced ADCC, CDC and/or ADCP that is statisticallyinsignificant in standard assays that measure ADCC, CDC and/or ADCP,such as assays described herein and in assays described in U.S. Pat. No.8,871,204.

The terms “Fc,” “Fc-containing protein” or “Fc-containing molecule” asused herein refer to a monomeric, dimeric or heterodimeric proteinhaving at least an immunoglobulin CH2 and CH3 domain. The CH2 and CH3domains can form at least a part of the dimeric region of theprotein/molecule (e.g., antibody).

The term “monoclonal antibody” as used herein is a specific form ofFc-containing protein comprising at least one ligand binding domainwhich retains substantial homology to at least one of a heavy or lightchain antibody variable domain of at least one species of animalantibody. Monoclonal antibody may be monospecific or multispecific, ormonovalent, bivalent or multivalent. A bispecific antibody is includedin the term monoclonal antibody.

“Wild type human IgG2 Fc region” refers to a human IgG Fc region thatcomprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or a fragment thereof,which is from residue K218 to residue K447 of the human IgG heavy chain,according to the EU numbering of Kabat. Amino acids in the constantregion are numbered by alignment with the human IgG1 antibody, EU IgG1(SEQ ID NO: 3) (see Cunningham et al., 1970 J. Biol. Chem., 9: 3161-70).That is, the heavy and light chains of an antibody are aligned with theheavy and light chains of EU to maximize amino acid sequence identityand each amino acid in the antibody is assigned the same number as thecorresponding amino acid in EU. The EU numbering system isconventionally used in the art (see generally, Kabat et al, Sequences ofProtein of Immunological Interest, NIH Publication No. 91-3242, USDepartment of Health and Human Services (1991)). According to thisconvention, the “wildtype IgG2” constant region described lacks an aminoacid at position 236 (FIG. 1, SEQ ID NO: 1).

“Recombinant” as used herein, includes antibodies and other proteinsthat are prepared, expressed, created or isolated by recombinant means.

“Vector” means a polynucleotide capable of being duplicated within abiological system or that can be moved between such systems. Vectorpolynucleotides typically contain elements, such as origins ofreplication, polyadenylation signal or selection markers, that functionto facilitate the duplication or maintenance of these polynucleotides ina biological system. Examples of such biological systems may include acell, virus, animal, plant, and reconstituted biological systemsutilizing biological components capable of duplicating a vector. Thepolynucleotide comprising a vector may be DNA or RNA molecules or ahybrid of these.

“Polynucleotide” means a molecule comprising a chain of nucleotidescovalently linked by a sugar-phosphate backbone or other equivalentcovalent chemistry. Double and single-stranded DNA and RNA are typicalexamples of polynucleotides.

“Reduced binding” refers to reduced binding of the antibodies of theinvention having at least one substitution in the Fc region describedherein, and in some embodiments to an FcγR receptor when compared to thebinding of the parental antibody without the substitution to the sameFcγR receptor. “Reduced binding” may be at least about 100-fold, atleast about 500-fold, at least about 1000-fold, at least about5000-fold, at least about 10,000-fold, or at least about 20,000-foldreduced binding. In practice, antibodies exhibiting “reduced binding” toa particular FcγR refer to antibodies that have stasticallyinsignificant effector function mediated by the particular FcγR.

Overview

The present invention was motivated by an interest in identifying an Fcdomain for use in the manufacture of therapeutic antibodies, Fc-fusions,and like biopharmaceuticals with improved safety in terms of theinability to cause cytokine release or damage or kill target liganddisplaying cells and tissues surrounding targeted cells.

Human IgG4 isotype antibodies and Fc-fusion proteins do not elicitsignificant ADCC (by NKs, expressing exclusively FcgRIIIa), but doretain the ability to induce phagocytosis (ADCP) by macrophages(expressing FcγRI, IIa and IIIa) and possibly activate monocytes when inan immune complex and attributable to the distribution of activatingFcγRs on specific immune cells. Efforts to minimize the residualactivity resulted in a development of and use of mutant comprisingV234A, L235A (ala/ala) in the wildtype IgG4 Fc (SEQ ID NO: 2).

Armour et al generated multiple point mutations in IgG2 to minimizebinding to FcgRI (Armour et al, 1999) and FcgRIIa and IIIa (Armour etal. 2003). Additional mutations disclosed in Mueller et al.'s patentapplication (PCTWO97/11971) are derived from hybrids of IgG2/IgG4,consisting of an IgG2 CH2 and an IgG4 CH3 domain, specifically residues330 and 331 are from IgG4 in the IgG2 mutants of the present invention.Muting or silencing efforts to diminish immunostimulatory effects havealso used. IgG2 or IgG4 or domain swapping among the two subclasses togenerate mAbs with minimal effector function in IgG1 (SEQ ID NO: 3) (Taoet al, 1991). The patent application of Strohl (US2007/0148167)discloses four mutations in IgG2 at residues EU positions 268, 309, 330and 331. Shields et al. (2001) discloses an additional substitution,H268A.

The present invention is a demonstration for the first time ofsubstitutions in multiple positions of the IgG2 constant regions (Fc)with IgG4 residues H268Q or A, V309L, A330S and P331S according toKabat/EU numbering system. The directed selection of multiple residuesubstitutions unexpectedly provided a functional Fc domain for use inantibody engineering and used as a fusion polypeptide as well as thepossibility of providing a therapeutic entity which is devoid ofmeasurable effector function.

The multi-substituted IgG2 mutants were selected on the bases of theirrelative affinities for human FcRs (FcγRI, FcγRIIa, FcγRIIb, FcγRIIIaand FcRn) assessed by ALPHASCREEN® competition assays and SPR/BIACORE™analyses. These mutants were further tested and ranked in theappropriate cellular systems for their ability to induce CDC, ADCC andADCP as well as trigger TNF-α secretion by PBMCs. In the set ofexperimental data provided herein, the IgG2 mutants were compared toknown preparations or mutants including; IgG1 ag and IgG4 Ala/Ala inaddition to wildtype IgG1 and IgG2. Further analyses of these mutants inseveral in vitro bioassays demonstrated that minimal to undetectablelevels of activity and greatly ablated binding affinity for FcRs. Basedon these screens, an IgG2 Fc mutant, designated as IgG2c4d, has beenidentified that has no detectable affinity or avidity for FcRs(monomeric v. bi-multimeric ligand binding) and is devoid of activity inthe various aforementioned effector/immunostimulatory bioassays. TheIgG2c4d Fc comprises the alanine, serine, and leucine substitutions:V234A, G237A, P238S, H28A, V309L, A330S, P331S (EU numbering). The sevenresidue substituted IgG2, IgG2c4d, may be considered the first truly“silenced” Fc in its inability to bind FcRs, mediate effector functions,or engage Fc-mediated cytokine release.

Based on the present discovery, subsets of the seven mutations ofIgG2c4d can be used, or combined with other amino acid mutants, or themutations can be used in another IgG isotype to achieve similar orselective silencing of effector functions as taught herein and combinedwith what is known in the art.

As specifically exemplified herein, the triplet V234A, G237A, P238Ssubstitutions reduce FcγRIIa binding affinity and FcγRIIa bindingavidity and ablate ADCP and Fc-dependent cytokine release whilemaintaining the FcRn binding affinity of the molecule.

TABLE 1 Summary of BIACORE ™ relative binding affinity. Variant IsotypeFcγRI FcγRIIa FcγRIIIa IgG1 +++++ +++ +++ IgG1 agly (N297A) +++ − +/−IgG4 S > P, ala/ala +++ − +/− IgG2 − +++ +/− IgG2m4 − +++ +/− IgG2c4a −+++ +/− IgG2c4b + − +/− IgG2c4d − − − IgG2c4e − − −

TABLE 2 Summary of relative avidity. Variant FcγRI FcγRIIa FcγRIIIaIsotype avidity avidity avidity IgG1 +++++ ++++ +++ IgG1 agly (N297A)+++ − − IgG4 S > P, ala/ala +++ ++ − IgG2 − +++ − IgG2m4 − +++ − IgG2c4d− − −

TABLE 3 Summary of effector functions and cytokine release (CR). VariantCytokine Isotype ADCC ADCP CDC Release IgG1 +++++ +++++ +++++ +++++ IgG1agly (N297A) − +++ − ++ IgG4 S > P, ala/ala − ++ − ++ IgG2 − ++ − +++IgG2m4 − ++ − ++ IgG2c4d − − − −

In addition, as exemplified, mutations L234A, L235A, G237A, P238A,H268A, A330S and P331S in IgG1 or mutations S228P, F234A, L235A, G237A,P238S, and optionally G236 deletion, in IgG4 reduced binding to FCγRI,FCγRII, and FCγRIII, and reduced ADCC and CDC activities.

Method of Making the Altered Fc-Containing Molecules

The sites for substitution were chosen based on the desired compositionhaving the structural features of a native antibody Fc, retained FcRnbinding, good stability, and a diminished capacity to stimulate thecomplement cascade, cell lysis, cell phagocytosis or cytokine release.

As IgG class antibodies are bivalent, they have two complete Fv domainsconsisting of the heavy and light variable domains in functionalassociation. Bivalency provides avidity effects as well as the abilityto cross-link target antigen or Fc receptors on the same or distinctcells, thereby provoking a spectrum of the non-target specific receptorbinding driven bioactivities of antibodies. For this reason, the Fcmutants of the present invention were tested within an “avidity context”meaning that the Fc mutants of IgGs were multimerized on a surface andtested for interaction with a multimer of specific Fc receptors.

Biological Characterization of the Mutants

Fc-containing proteins can be compared for functionality by severalwell-known in vitro assays. In particular, affinity for members of theFcγRI, FcγRII, and FcγRIII family of Fcγ receptors is of interest. Thesemeasurements can be made using recombinant soluble forms of thereceptors or cell-associated forms of the receptors. In addition,affinity for FcRn, the receptor responsible for the prolongedcirculating half-life of IgGs, can be measured, for example, using aligand bound bead format of “ALPHASCREEN®” using recombinant solubleFcRn. ALPHASCREEN®, used in high throughput screening, is a homogenousassay technology which allows detection of molecular events such asbinding. Coated “Donor” and “Acceptor” beads are the basis of the assaytechnology. As a bead based assay, ALPHASCREEN® works through theinteraction of the beads in close proximity, resulting in a cascade ofchemical reactions that act to produce a greatly amplified signal.Direct or indirect, e.g., competitive binding, measurements can beapplied for assessing relative affinities and avidities among andbetween proteins.

The natural evolution of human IgG isotypes (e.g., IgG1, IgG2, IgG3 andIgG4), has allowed each to exhibit a different spectrum of capacities torecruit immune functions, such as antibody-dependent cellularcytotoxicity (ADCC, e.g., IgG1 and IgG3), antibody-dependent cellularphagocytosis (ADCP, e.g., IgG1, IgG2, IgG3 and IgG4), and complementdependent cytotoxicity (CDC, e.g., IgG1, IgG3). The isotype-specificengagement of these functions is based on differential selectivity forFc receptors which resides on distinct immune cells, as well as theability to bind C1q and activate the assembly of a membrane attackcomplex (MAC) resulting in CDC and CDP (complement dependentphagocytosis) through specific receptor binding complement components oneffector macrophages. The hierarchy of ability to bind the initialcomponent, C1q, of the complement cascade, of human isotypes isIgG1>IgG3>IgG2>IgG4 although complement activation by IgG2 and IgG4 inmicrobial infection is well-documented.

Cell-based functional assays, such as ADCC and CDC, provide insightsinto the likely functional consequences of particular variantstructures. Antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) is acell-mediated reaction in which nonspecific cytotoxic cells that expressFc receptors (FcRs) (e.g., Natural Killer (NK) cells, neutrophils, andmacrophages) recognize bound antibody on a target cell and subsequentlycause lysis of the target cell. In one embodiment, the ADCC assay isconfigured to have NK cells as the primary effector cell, reflecting thefunctional effects on the FcγRIIIA which is the only Fcγ-type receptorknown to be expressed by these cells.

Phagocytosis assays may also be used to compare immune effectorfunctions of different mutants, as can assays that measure cellularresponses, such as superoxide or inflammatory mediator release. In vivomodels have proved useful in the study of Fc variants. For example, asdemonstrated using mutants of anti-CD3 antibodies to measure T cellactivation in mice, an activity that is dependent on Fc domains engagingspecific ligands, such as Fcγ receptors. Antibody directed activation ofmacrophages mediates antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP),causing opsonized target cells to be engulfed and digested bymacrophages. In vitro, differentiated macrophages expressing high levelsof FcRs can be differentiated into the M1 phenotype using IFNγ or GM-CSFto expressed elevated levels of all FcRs (FcγR1, FcγRIIa, FcγRIIIa)relative to monocytes. Such assays are known to those skilled in the artof antibody engineering.

Method of Making the Antibody

Routine recombinant processes were used to create directed mutations inthe sequences for the human IgG2 constant domains used as the startingpoint in the generation and testing of Fc mutants. It will beappreciated to those skilled in the art that various techniques forcreating changes in coding sequences can be used to create vectorssuitable for the expression of the desired amino acid sequences in avariety of host cells for recovery and testing.

Host Cell Selection or Host Cell Engineering

As described herein, the host cell chosen for expression of therecombinant Fc-containing protein or monoclonal antibody is an importantcontributor to the final composition, including, without limitation, thevariation in composition of the oligosaccharide moieties decorating theprotein in the immunoglobulin CH2 domain. Thus, one aspect of theinvention involves the selection of appropriate host cells for useand/or development of a production cell expressing the desiredtherapeutic protein.

Further, the host cell may be of mammalian origin or may be selectedfrom COS-1, COS-7, HEK293, BHK21, CHO, BSC-1, Hep G2, 653, SP2/0, 293,HeLa, myeloma, lymphoma, yeast, insect or plant cells, or anyderivative, immortalized or transformed cell thereof.

Alternatively, the host cell may be selected from a species or organismincapable of glycosylating polypeptides, e.g. a prokaryotic cell ororganism, such as natural or engineered E. coli spp, Klebsiella spp., orPseudomonas spp.

Antibodies

An antibody described in this application can include or be derived fromany mammal, such as, but not limited to, a human, a mouse, a rabbit, arat, a rodent, a primate, a goat, or any combination thereof andincludes isolated human, primate, rodent, mammalian, chimeric, humanizedand/or CDR-grafted antibodies, immunoglobulins, cleavage products andother specified portions and variants thereof.

The antibodies, Fc-comprising proteins, or Fc fragments described hereincan be derived in several ways well known in the art. In one aspect, theantibodies are conveniently obtained from hybridomas prepared byimmunizing a mouse or other animal with the target peptides, cells ortissues extracts. The antibodies can thus be obtained using any of thehybridoma techniques well known in the art, see, e.g., Harlow and Lane,antibodies, a Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor, NY (1989) entirelyincorporated herein by reference.

The antibodies or Fc-fusion proteins or components and domains thereofmay also be obtained from selecting from libraries of such domains orcomponents, e.g., a phage library. A phage library can be created byinserting a library of random oligonucleotides or a library ofpolynucleotides containing sequences of interest, such as from theB-cells of an immunized animal or human (Smith, G. P. 1985. Science 228:1315-1317). Antibody phage libraries contain heavy (H) and light (L)chain variable region pairs in one phage allowing the expression ofsingle-chain Fv fragments or Fab fragments (Hoogenboom, et al. 2000,Immunol. Today 21(8) 371-8). The diversity of a phagemid library can bemanipulated to increase and/or alter the immunospecificities of themonoclonal antibodies of the library to produce and subsequentlyidentify additional, desirable, human monoclonal antibodies. Forexample, the heavy (H) chain and light (L) chain immunoglobulin moleculeencoding genes can be randomly mixed (shuffled) to create new HL pairsin an assembled immunoglobulin molecule. Additionally, either or boththe H and L chain encoding genes can be mutagenized in a complementaritydetermining region (CDR) of the variable region of the immunoglobulinpolypeptide, and subsequently screened for desirable affinity andneutralization capabilities. Antibody libraries also can be createdsynthetically by selecting one or more human framework sequences andintroducing collections of CDR cassettes derived from human antibodyrepertoires or through designed variation (Kretzschmar and von Ruden2000, Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 13:598-602). The positions ofdiversity are not limited to CDRs, but can also include the frameworksegments of the variable regions or may include other than antibodyvariable regions, such as peptides.

Other libraries of target binding components which may include otherthan antibody variable regions are ribosome display, yeast display, andbacterial displays. Ribosome display is a method of translating mRNAsinto their cognate proteins while keeping the protein attached to theRNA. The nucleic acid coding sequence is recovered by RT-PCR(Mattheakis, L. C. et al. 1994. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 91, 9022).Yeast display is based on the construction of fusion proteins of themembrane-associated alpha-agglutinin yeast adhesion receptor, aga1 andaga2, a part of the mating type system (Broder, et al. 1997. NatureBiotechnology, 15:553-7). Bacterial display is based on fusion of thetarget to exported bacterial proteins that associate with the cellmembrane or cell wall (Chen and Georgiou 2002. Biotechnol Bioeng,79:496-503).

In comparison to hybridoma technology, phage and other antibody displaymethods afford the opportunity to manipulate selection against theantigen target in vitro and without the limitation of the possibility ofhost effects on the antigen or vice versa.

The invention also provides for nucleic acids encoding the compositionsof the invention as isolated polynucleotides or as portions ofexpression vectors including vectors compatible with prokaryotic,eukaryotic or filamentous phage expression, secretion and/or display ofthe compositions or directed mutagens thereof.

Use of the Fc-Containing Molecules

The compositions (antibody, Fc-fusions, Fc fragments) generated by anyof the above described methods may be used to diagnose, treat, detect,or modulate human disease or specific pathologies in cells, tissues,organs, fluid, or, generally, a host. As taught herein, modification ofthe Fc portion of an antibody, Fc-fusion protein, or Fc fragment toreduce or ablate Fc gamma receptor binding and specified effectorfunctions, but where the antibody retains the original targetingproperties, provides antibodies and Fc-constructs with a superiorspectrum of activities, biophysical properties, stability and ability topersist in the body of a host.

The diseases or pathologies that may be amenable to treatment using acomposition provided by the invention include, but are not limited to:neurological disorders, such as but not limited to Alzheimer's diseaseand including neuropathic pain; dermatological disease; metabolicdiseases; osteoarthritis; and conditions resulting from burns or injury;cardiovascular disorders including but not limited to myocardialinfarction, congestive heart failure, stroke, ischemic stroke, andhemorrhage; as well as general immune mediated disorders, including therheumatic diseases, psoriasis, and scleroderma.

While having described the invention in general terms, the embodimentsof the invention will be further disclosed in the following examplesthat should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

EXAMPLE 1 Construction of and Testing of Fc Mutants

A series of constructs with mutated derived from a human IgG2 antibodyas shown in Table 4 were constructed using standard recombinant methods.For antibodies with complete variable domains, the known CDR sequencesof anti-HER2 and anti-CD20 antibodies were used to construct isotype andFc mutants as indicated. The antibody mutants were expressed transientlyin 293T cells using standard cloning and expression procedures. MAbswere purified using protein A columns to greater than 95% homogeneityprior to further experimental analyses.

TABLE 4 Subclass & designation Mutations (EU Numbering) IgG1 IgG1 AgN297A IgG4 A/A S228P, F234A, L235A IgG2 IgG2m4 H268Q, V309L, A330S,P331S IgG2c4a H268A, V309L, A330S, P331S IgG2c4b V234A, G237A, H268Q,V309L, A330S, P331S IgG2c4c V234A, G237A, H268A, V309L, A330S, P331SIgG2c4d V234A, G237A, P238S, H268A, V309L, A330S, P331S IgG2c4e P233S,V234A, G237A, P238S, H268A, V309L, A330S, P331S

BIACORE™ Studies of Affinities

Surface plasmon resonance experiments were performed using a BIACORE™3000 optical biosensor (BIACORE™ AB, Uppsala, Sweden; currently part ofGE Healthcare). The experiments were performed at 25° C. in D-PBS buffercontaining 3 mM EDTA and 0.01% surfactant P20. To analyze theinteraction of the receptors with Fc mutants a capture surface wasgenerated by covalent coupling of mouse anti-His IgG (R&D systems® cat#MAB050) to a CM-5 sensor chip. The anti-His Ab was diluted into 10 mMsodium acetate buffer pH 4.5 (BIACORE™ AB) and coupled to thecarboxymethylated dextran surface of the CM-5 chip (˜3000 RU) using themanufacturer instructions for amine-coupling chemistry. The remainingreactive groups on the surface were deactivated using ethanolamine-HCl.To perform kinetics experiments 165, 351 and 208 response units (RU) ofFcγRI, FcγRII and FcγRIII, respectively were captured on this surface.Receptor capture was followed by injection of a serial dilution of wildtype or Fc mutants (from 4000 nM to 3.9 nM in 4-fold dilution steps) at30 uL/min. The association phase was monitored for 3 minutes. This wasfollowed by buffer flow for 20 minutes to monitor binding dissociation.The capture surface was regenerated using a 9 seconds pulse of 100 mMphosphoric acid at 100 uL/min followed by injection of running buffer.

Double reference subtraction of the data was performed to correct forbuffer contribution to the signal and instrument noise (Myszka 1999)using the Scrubber software version 1.1 g (BIOLOGIC™ Software) forreferencing. After this initial data processing, kinetic analysis of thedata was performed using the BIA evaluation software, version 4.0.1(BIACORE™, AB) assuming a simple 1:1 binding model. ALPHASCREEN® andbinding studies

Both competition and direct binding of IgGs to various FcγRs wasassessed using the homogeneous bead-based binding assay, ALPHASCREEN®(PerkinElmer, Waltham, Mass.). In brief, experiments were carried out aspreviously described (Lazar et al 2006 Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 103(11):4005-10) with minor modifications. FcγRI, IIa, were purchased from R&Dsystems®. FcγRIIIa and FcRn were cloned, expressed and purified. IgG Fcmutants were tested in competition binding against biotinylated CNT06234(a nonspecific control human IgG1 subclass antibody) or anti-Her2/neu (ahuman IgG2 antibody) which were biotinylated using NLS-biotin, Pierce,2:1 ratio.

In competition binding studies, biotinylated antibodies were added to afinal assay concentration of 200 ng/ml, followed by competing testantibodies at designated final concentrations specified in eachexperimental figure. FcγRs were added at 200 ng/ml final concentrationto 96-well plates, followed by the serial addition of streptavidin donorand Ni-chelate acceptor beads. After sealing plates and shaking at roomtemperature, the plates were read using the Envision plate reader anddata was graphed and plotted in GRAPHPAD™ PRISM™. Avidity studies werecarried out similar to the completion studies, with the exception thattest IgG molecules were biotinylated at a 2:1 ratio and direct FcRbinding was assessed in the absence of competition against a controlantibody.

Results

The relative affinities of the IgG variants for human FcRs (FcγRI,FcγRIIa, FcγRIIb, and FcγRIIIa) assessed by SPR/BIACORE™ analyses andderived from the sensograms are shown in Table 5.

TABLE 5 BIACORE ™ data for the interaction of Fc mutants with Fcreceptors. Fcg RI Fcg RIIa Fcg RIIIa Fc K_(D) (uM) K_(D) (uM) K_(D) (uM)huIgG1 0.013* 1.7 0.16* huIgG1 - Ag 3.7 >170 >95 huIgG4 Ala-Ala, Ser-Pro15 150 55 huIgG2 120 1 41 huIgG2m4 210 2.7 95 huIgG2c4a 160 2.2 85huIgG2c4b 38 170 >95 huIgG2c4c 0.044* 19 0.64* huIgG2c4d >210 >170 >95huIgG2c4e >210 >170 >95

These numbers correspond to the parameters generated for the global fitof one experiment.

For these 4 sets of data the affinities were obtained by performing afit using a simple 1:1 binding model kinetic fit. For all others, theaffinities were obtained by performing a fit using a simple 1:1 bindingsteady state affinity analysis.

The relative affinities of the IgG mutants for human FcRs (FcγRIIa,FcγRIIb, and FcRn) in an avidity context, that is for bivalent antibodybinding to a dense target field, measured using ALPHASCREEN® competitionassays with human IgG1 (CNT06234) are shown in FIGS. 3A-C, respectively.

The experimental data demonstrated that IgG2 mutants as well as IgG1 agand IgG4 Ala/Ala show significantly decreased binding affinity to Fcgamma receptors compared to IgG1, while retaining their capacity to bindto FcRn (the neonatal Fc receptor conferring in vivo half-life).Specifically, in competition binding against IgG2 and in binding toFcgRIIa ranking from high to lowest affinity, the sequence is asfollows: IgG1>IgG2c4a>IgG2m4>IgG2=IgGc4c>IgG2c4b>IgG4 ala/ala>IgG4agly>IgG2c4d. This sequence is consistent in competition against IgG1(CNT06234) in binding to FcgRIIb. Further competition binding analysisagainst IgG1 (CNT06234) in binding to FcRn at pH 6.4 indicated that allisotypes and mutants bind relatively equally to FcRn. Importantly,IgG2c4d and IgG1 agly show minimal, if any, detectable binding toFcgRIIa and FcgRIIb.

EXAMPLE 2 ADCC and CDC

CDC is initiated in three categories of pathway: antibody-dependent(classical pathway), polysaccharide dependent (lectin-dependent), andforeign surface structures (alternative pathway), all producing acascade of proteolytic steps leading to the assembly of a membraneattack complex that culminates in target cell or microbial lysis (ref W.E. Paul Immunology). A subset of isotype and Fc mutants described inExample 1 were prepared using the variable domains of an anti-CD20antibody and evaluated for their ability to lyse WIL2-S B-cell lymophomatarget cells in the presence of human serum. Commercially availableRituxan®, a therapeutic anti-CD20 known to mediate CDC of WIL2-S cellswas used a positive control for lysis. For CDC analysis, Wil2-S targetcells were seeded in a 96-well plate, incubated with human serumcomplement (1/6 dilution) and relative cell viability was assessed usingALAMARBLUE™.

The ADCC assay was performed using the anti-HER2/neu variable domaincombined with the various Fc domains of the different IgG isotype orvariants as described in Example 1 and SkBr3 breast cancer cells astargets. The assays were carried out as previously described using theEuTDA method of cell lysis detection (PerkinElmer, Waltham, Mass.).TDA-loaded SkBr3 breast cancer target cells were seeded in U-bottom96-well plates, opsonized with designated concentrations of antibodiesand co-cultured with 25× excess of PBMCs isolated from leukopacks at 37°C. After 3 hours, the plates were centrifuged, and supernatants wereanalyzed for TDA release according to manufacturer's instructions. Rawdata was normalized and plotted using GRAPHPAD™ PRISM™. For CDCanalysis, Wil2-S target cells were seeded at 50,000 per well of a96-well plate, incubated with human serum complement (1/6 dilution) andrelative cell viability was assessed using ALAMARBLUE™.

Results

ADCC, which primarily engages FcgRIIIa on NK cells, was undetectable forthe series of constructs tested which included IgG2, IgG2m4, IgG2c4d ande, IgG1 agly and IgG4 ala/ala (FIG. 5), consistent with the diminishedbinding characteristics shown for the higher affinity FcgRIIIa (V)receptor as well as the lack of avidity binding in the ALPHASCREEN®assay (FIG. 4A). The use of high density targets, such as HER2/neu onbreast cancer cells as in this study, demonstrated that Fc affinity forFcgRIIIa (lower than 40 uM) appears insufficient to induce target celllysis. Similarly, none of the antibodies or Fc-mutants, aside from IgG1,demonstrated a significant level of CDC against WIL2-S target cells inthe anti-CD20 constructs tested (FIG. 6). Among the IgG subclasses andmutants tested, only IgG1 demonstrated detectable levels of CDC,suggesting that independent of C1q binding, none of the remainingmutants can trigger CDC (FIG. 6). While previous efforts have pointed toIgG2 as having minimal CDC through C1q binding and activation of theclassical pathway, we did not observe significant levels of activity inthe anti-CD20 context, consistent with a previous observation (Idusogie,Presta et al. 2000 J Immunol 164(8): 4178-84). Moreover, previousindications of IgG1 agly having residual complement activity were alsonot detected using anti-CD20 and human serum (Dorai, Mueller et al. 1991Hybridoma 10(2): 211-7). An explanation for this discrepancy is thatwhile low levels of complement activation may be mediated by IgG2,activation may be insufficient to trigger the assembly of a membraneattack complexes (MAC) sufficient to lyse opsonized cells.

These data suggest that, regardless of the level of complementactivation, the assembly of membrane attack complexes culminating intarget cell lysis are deficient or insufficient for antibodies ofisotypes other than bound IgG1.

EXAMPLE 3 Antibody-Dependent Cell Phagocytosis

The anti-HER2/neu binding Fc mutants were evaluated for their ability tomediate antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP), using opsonizedtarget breast cancer cells, Sk-Br3 and macrophages.

Antibody-Dependent Cellular Phagocytosis (ADCP)

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated by standardFicoll-Paque (GE Healthcare) density-gradient preparations fromleukopacks (Biological Specialty Corporation), and cells were aliquotedand stored in nitrogen. PBMCs were thawed and CD14 positive cells wereisolated by negative depletion using a CD14 Isolation kit without CD16depletion (Stem Cell Technologies) per manufacturer instructions. Cellswere plated at 0.1×10⁶ cells/cm² in RPMI/5% heat-inactivated FBS/50μg/ml gentimicin in the presence of 20 ng/ml GM-CSF (R&D Systems®) for 7days to generate monocyte-derived macrophages. SK-BR-3 tumor cells werelabeled with PKH67 (Sigma) according to the manufacturer's instructions.Target cells were washed and incubated with monocyte-derived macrophagesat a ratio of 1 target cell to 4 effector cells in the presence ofantibodies for 4 hours at 37° C. in a 5% CO₂ incubator. Afterincubation, cells were detached with ACCUTASE® (MILLIPORE®), andmacrophages were labeled with anti-CD11b antibodies (BD Biosciences)conjugated to AlexaFluor-647 (Invitrogen). Cells were analyzed by flowcytometry to determine tumor cells alone (PKH67^(pos), CD11b^(neg)),macrophages alone (PKH67^(neg), CD11b^(pos)), and phagocytosed tumorcells (PKH67^(pos), CD11b^(pos)). Percent phagocytosis was determined bythe following equation: (phagocytosed tumor cells)/(phagocytosed tumorcells plus tumor cells alone)×100%. Cells were acquired on a FACSCalibur (Becton Dickinson), and the results were analyzed with FloJoSoftware (Tree Star).

Isolated monocytes were differentiated in vitro using GM-CSF and furthercharacterized for the expression levels of FcRs by flow-cytometricanalysis. As noted in previous studies by others, the GM-CSF activatedmacrophages expressed elevated levels of all FcRs (FcγRI, FcγRIIa,FcγRIIIa) relative to the parent monocytes (data not shown). Theanti-HER2/neu IgG Fc mutant constructs were subsequently tested inphagocytosis assays using the M1 macrophages.

Results

After 4 hours of co-culture with SkBr3 cells in the presence of eachmAb, significant levels of ADCP was apparent for IgG1, however minimallevels of ADCP were also observed for aglycosylated IgG1, IgG2, IgG2m4,and IgG4 S>P ala/ala at higher concentrations of antibody (FIG. 7). Incontrast, IgG2c4d demonstrated no detectable levels of ADCP. Thisobservation is consistent with the previously demonstrated bindingprofiles of the various IgGs against FcRs. For example, while IgG1, IgGagly and IgG4 ala/ala demonstrated binding in using the multiple liganddisplaying beads (e.g using the ALPHASCREEN® system) to FcγRI, all threealso demonstrated ADCP. IgG2 and IgG2M4 and IgG4 ala/ala showed minimalADCP at higher concentrations. Engagement of FcγRIIa by IgG2 and IgG2m4,as shown by avidity studies suggests that the contribution of FcγRIIamay in and of itself be insufficient to drive significant levels ofADCP. The BIACORE™ and ALPHASCREEN® results (Table 5 and FIGS. 4B and4C) further indicated that while IgG agly has retained binding to FcγRI,IgG4 ala/ala shows avidity for both FcγRI and FcγRIIa, yet, ADCP iscomparatively more robust for IgG1 agly than IgG4 ala/ala. Because IgG1agly has minimal, if any, binding to FcγRIIa and by extension to thehighly similar inhibitory FcγRIIb (based on sequence identity >95% inthe extracellular domain) the activation of ITAMs through FcγRIsignaling is not countered by signaling through ITIMs associated withFcγRIIb activation. In contrast, IgG4 S>P ala/ala shows a dampenedphagocytosis, likely due to activation of FcγRIIb. Finally, the completelack of detectable monomeric or avidity based binding of IgG2c4d tovarious FcRs further lends support to the unique abolished phagocytoticcapacity of this Fc backbone.

EXAMPLE 4 Antibody-Mediated Cytokine Release

Fc-engagement of FcR on immune cells promotes cytokine release whencross-linked. In order to mimic the avidity-based engagement of FcRs onimmune cells, mAbs were bound to polystyrene beads.

Cytokine release using anti-HER2/neu IgG mutants was performed afterdirect binding of IgGs to latex beads after overnight incubation. Washedbeads were added to isolated human PBMCs at various concentrations asspecified from about 1500 to 250,000 per ml and incubated overnightbefore removing co-culture supernatant to measure secreted TNFα usingthe standard AlphaELISA kit from PerkinElmer (Waltham, Mass.).

The tested IgG isotypes and Fc mutants possess differential ability tostimulate cytokine release through Fc receptor mediated TNFalphasecretion from PBMCs (FIG. 8). Accordingly, levels of TNF secretion byvarious isotypes and their Fc mutants from high to low, are as follows:IgG1>IgG2>IgG2m4>IgG2c4a>IgG1agly>IgG4ala/ala>IgG2c4b>IgG2c4c>IgG4c4dand e. Of note, both IgG4d and e Fc mutants possess minimal, if any,capacity to induce detectable cytokine (TNF) release.

EXAMPLE 5 Ex Vivo B Cell Depletion

To better understand the capacity of the isotypes and mutants in theirlevel of silencing in vivo, ex vivo depletion of WIL2-S B-cells in thepresence of heparinized whole human blood was determined. As ananti-CD20 IgG1 is known to engage all effector functions (ADCC, CDC,ADCP), the whole blood system, including the presence of PMNs(neutrophils, basophils, etc.), human complement, and excess IgG wereconsidered to be representative of the level of ‘silencing’ conferred byeach variant.

Briefly, whole human blood provided the effector cells and WIL2-S cellsserved as target cells for ADCC assays. Target cells were pre-labeledwith BATDA (PerkinElmer) for 30 minutes at 37° C., washed twice andresuspended in DMEM/5% heat-inactivated FBS, then 50 μl of target (2×10⁴cells per well) were added to the wells of 96-well U-bottom plates. Anadditional 50 μl was added with or without antibodies of variousconcentrations, and cells were incubated at room temperature for 20minutes. Whole human blood (100 μl) was then added to the wells. Allsamples were performed in triplicate. The plates were centrifuged at 200g for 3 minutes, incubated at 37° C. in a 5% CO₂ incubator for 3 hours,and then centrifuged again at 200 g for 3 minutes. A total of 20 μl ofsupernatant was removed per well and cell lysis was measured by theaddition of 200 μl of the DELFIA® Europium-based reagent (PerkinElmer).Fluorescence was measured using an Envision 2101 Multilabel Reader(PerkinElmer). Data were normalized to maximal cytotoxicity obtained bytreating cells with Triton X-100 (Sigma Aldrich) and minimal controldetermined by spontaneous release of BATDA from target cells alone. Datawere fit to a sigmoidal dose-response model using GRAPHPAD™ PRISM™v5.01.

Co-culturing of WIL2-S in the presence of human blood revealed severeeffector-mediated depletion of labeled WIL2-S using IgG1 and to someextent by IgG2 and IgG2M4. Of note, (Fab′)₂ and Fab anti-CD20 fragmentsboth induced some level of WIL2-S depletion which may indicate thepresence of a cleaved IgG autoantibody in the serum (see e.g. Breski etal. 2008 J Immunol 181:3183-3192) capable of restoring the effectorfunction. Consistent with previous ADCC, CDC and ADCP data, nosignificant or detectable levels of cytokine release were observed withIgG2c4e.

EXAMPLE 6 In Vivo B Bell Survival with CD20 Targeting

In vivo effector function associated with IgG2c4e was assessed using anestablished Cynomologous B-cell depletion model of anti-CD20 (Reff etal, 1994, Blood 83:435-445).

Cynomologous monkeys (n=3/group) were injected with saline 7 days priorto single bolus intravenous doses of either IgG1 or IgG2Σ at 0.2 mg/Kgor 2 mg/Kg. On designated days following the injections, B cell levelsfrom whole blood samples were determined by flow cytometry analysis of Band T cells using anti-CD20 and anti-CD3 as markers, respectively. Theaverage B-cell levels (CD20+/CD3−) for each group were plotted duringthree weeks after injection (FIG. 9). While low doses of IgG1 (0.2mg/kg) induced near complete depletion of all B-cells 1 day afterinjection (99%), no significant depletion was induced by anti-CD20IgG2c4e (mean of 15% within the group). B cell levels remainedrelatively normal for the anti-CD20 IgG2c4e treated animals over thesubsequent days, and there was a gradual trend toward recovery of B celllevels observed for IgG1 treated monkeys during subsequent weeks. Ofnote, both IgG2c4e and IgG1 induced near complete depletion of B-cellsat the higher dose of 2 mg/Kg.

Anti-CD20 mediated B-cell depletion is thought to be mediated by severalmechanisms, including ADCC, CDC and apoptosis. In view of the monkeyB-cell depletion data indicating depletion of B-cells at the higher dose(2 mg/Kg) by IgG2c4e, the mechanistic basis of B-cell depletion wasfurther evaluated by measuring levels of apoptosis induced by theantibodies in isolated B-cells.

Isolated B-cells were treated with 0, 0.26, 2.6 and 26 μg/mlconcentrations of IgG1, IgG2c4e, (Fab′)₂ and IgG2 as well as anon-binding control mAb (BM21) for 4 hrs and Annexin V positive, 7AADnegative cells were quantified by flow cytometry. Specific finalconcentrations of 2.6 and 26 μg/ml were selected to reflect estimatedmaximal in vivo concentrations of serum IgG after bolus injections of0.2 and 2 mg/Kg.

For all three binding antibodies, a dose dependent induction ofapoptosis was observed for all IgGs, including (Fab′)₂, indicating thatanti-CD20 mediated crosslinking is sufficient for induction of celldeath at the higher dose, but not the lower dose for IgG2c4e. Of note,(Fab′)₂ also demonstrated significant apoptosis in the absence of an Fc,confirming the notion that anti-IgG mediated apoptosis can be inducedindependent of Fc mediated cross-linking as previously observed.

Thus, the normal functions associated with cross-linking of targetantigen on cells are not ablated by the modified Fc variant.

EXAMPLE 7 Construction and Testing of Additional Fc Mutants

Several mutant constructs derived from human IgG1 and IgG4 antibodies asshown in Table 6 were constructed using standard recombinant methods.The known VH and VL sequences of anti-TNFα antibodies (SEQ ID NOs: 7 and8, respectively), were used to construct Fc mutant IgG1σ, IgG4σ1 andIgG4σ2 antibodies. The mutations in each generated isotype are shown inTable 6. The Fc mutants were expressed transiently in HEK-293E cellsusing standard cloning and expression procedures. Monoclonal antibodieswere purified using protein A affinity chromatography.

TABLE 6 Subclass & designation Mutations (EU Numbering) IgG1σ L234AL235A G237A P238S H268A A330S P331S IgG4σ1 S228P F234A L235A G237A P238SIgG4σ2 S228P F234A L235A G236_del G237A P238SCompetitive binding to recombinant human Fcγ receptors usingALPHASCREEN®.

Competitive binding of different Fc mutants to human FcγRI, FcγRII, andFcγRIII variants was assessed using a bead-based proximity assay inALPHASCREEN® (Perkin-Elmer, Waltham, Mass.) format. In this format, aphotosensitizer compound was embedded into a donor bead which, uponillumination with laser light at a wavelength of 680 nm, ambient oxygenwas converted to energy-rich, short-lived singlet oxygen. When noacceptor bead was in proximity, the singlet oxygen decayed withoutproducing a signal. If donor and acceptor bead were brought together(˜200 nm), as by the biological interaction of any attachedbiomolecules, the singlet oxygen released by the donor beads initiated aluminescence/fluorescence cascade in the nearby acceptor bead, leadingto a highly amplified signal in the 520-620 nm range.

First, test antibodies in PBS were serially diluted in assay buffer(1×PBS, 0.05% BSA, 0.01% Tween 20, pH 7.2) in a separate sample dilutionplate. To increase the binding potential of the test antibodies throughavidity, and thereby increase the assay sensitivity, test dilutions ofvarious FC mutants were made in the presence of an equimolar amount of anon-FcγR-binding crosslinker (goat F(ab′)2 fragment anti-human IgGF(ab′)2 fragment-specific, Jackson ImmunoResearch, West Grove, Pa.).Then, the following were added to the wells of duplicate white half-well96-well assay plates (Corning, Corning, N.Y.) in the following order:

-   1) 10 μl biotinylated human IgG1 as an indicator antibody at 5 ug/ml    (for huFcγRIIa and -III) assays) or 1 ug/ml (for huFcγRI, -IIIa, and    -IIIb assays) in assay buffer;-   2) 10 μl test sample as a competitor antibody prepared above in    serial dilution;-   3) 10 μl polyhistidine-tagged human FcγR (either FcγRI,    FcγRIIa-R131, FcγRIIa-H131, FcγRIIb, FcγRIIIa-V158, or FcγRIIIb) at    1 μl/ml in assay buffer;-   4) 10 μl ALPHASCREEN® nickel-coated acceptor beads at 1:50 dilution    in assay buffer, under dim light;-   5) 10 μl ALPHASCREEN® streptavidin-coated donor beads at 1:50    dilution in assay buffer, under dim light.    Plates were then sealed with foil adhesive plate sealers to protect    from light, and then placed on an orbital plate shaker with gentle    shaking for 60 minutes at room temperature. Subsequently, plates    were read using the Envision plate reader and 96-well plate general    setting under the ALPHASCREEN® set-up.    Competitive binding to recombinant FcRn.

A competitive binding assay was used to assess relative affinities ofdifferent antibody samples to in-house recombinant human FcRn(transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains of FcRn were replaced with apoly-histidine affinity tag). Ninety-six-well copper-coated plates(Thermo Scientific, Rockford, Ill.) were used to capture FcRn-His6 at 4μg/ml in PBS, after which plates were washed with 0.15 M NaCl, 0.02%Tween 20, and then incubated with blocking reagent (0.05 M MES[2-(N-morpholino) ethanesulfonic acid], 0.025% bovine serum albumin(BSA), 0.001% Tween-20, pH 6.0, 10% CHEMIBLOCKER™ (MILLIPORE®,Billerica, Mass.)). Plates were washed as above, and then serialdilutions of competitor test antibody in blocking reagent were added tothe plate in the presence of a fixed 4 μg/ml concentration of anindicator antibody (a biotinylated human IgG1 monoclonal antibody).Plates were incubated at room temperature for 1 hour, washed three timesas above, and then incubated with a 1:10,000 dilution ofstreptavidin-horseradish peroxidase (HRP) (Jackson ImmunoResearchLaboratories, West Grove, Pa.) at room temperature for 30 minutes tobind biotinylated antibody. Plates were washed five times as above, andbound streptavidin-HRP detected by adding TMB(3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine) peroxidase substrate with stable stop(Fitzgerald Industries International, Acton, Mass.) and developing atroom temperature. Color development was stopped by addition of 0.5 MHCl. Optical densities were determined with a SPECTRAMAX® Plus384 platereader (Molecular Devices, Sunnyvale, Calif.) at 450 nm wavelength.

Results

Competitive binding of Fc mutants and recombinant FcγR, FcγRII, andFcγRIII variants was analyzed using ALPHASCREEN® Assay. Relative to thecontrol wild type IgG1, all of the Fc mutants demonstrated no detectablebinding to FcγRI (FIG. 10A), FcγRIIa-H131 (high-affinity variant, FIG.10B), FcγRIIa-R131 (low-affinity variant, FIG. 10C), and FcγRIIb (FIG.10D). The binding of the Fc mutants to FcγRIII-V158 (high-affinityvariant) was very low (800-fold reduced as compared to the wild typeIgG1 control, FIG. 10E). The binding to FcγRIIIb ranged fromundetectable for IgG1σ to very low level for IgG461 and IgG462 (FIG.10F).

Competitive binding analysis of the Fc mutants and the recombinant FcRnsuggested that IgG1σ bound FcRn at a similar level as compared to theIgG1 control, while the binding of both IgG461 and IgG4σ2 was 4-foldless as compared to the IgG1 control.

EXAMPLE 8 ADCC and CDC

ADCC assays were performed using a DELFIA® EuTDA-based assay(PerkinElmer; Waltham, Mass.) to quantitate cytotoxicity as indicated bythe manufacturer's instructions, with minor modifications. In brief,peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were purified from humanblood and used as effector cells for ADCC assays. Cultured mouse myelomacells K2 (C480A) (constructed in-house) which express a mutant,transmembrane form of human TNFα were used as target cells at a ratio of50 effector cells per 1 target cell. Target cells were pre-labeled withBATDA (DELFIA® PerkinElmer) for 25 min at 37° C., washed 3 times, andresuspended in IMDM medium with GLUTAMAX™, 10% heat-inactivated FBS, 0.1mM nonessential amino acids, 1 mM sodium pyruvate,penicillin-streptomycin (100 U/ml each). Target cells (2×10⁵ cells/ml,50 μl) were added to test antibody (100 μl) in 96-well U-bottom plates,then effector cells (1×10⁷ cells/ml, 50 μl) were added. The plates werecentrifuged at 200 g for 3 min, incubated at 37° C. for 2 h, and thencentrifuged again at 200 g for 3 min. A total of 20 μl of supernatantwas removed per well, and cell lysis was measured by the addition of 200μl of the DELFIA® Europium-based reagent (PerkinElmer). Fluorescence wasmeasured using an Envision 2101 Reader (PerkinElmer). Data werenormalized to maximal cytotoxicity with 0.7% Triton X-100(Sigma-Aldrich) or 10% Lysis Buffer (DELFIA® PerkinElmer) and minimalcontrol determined by spontaneous release of BATDA from target cells inthe absence of any Ab. Samples were tested in duplicates. Data were fitto a sigmoidal dose-response model using GRAPHPAD™ PRISM™ v6.

CDC assays were performed using K2 target cells as previously described(Brerski R J, Luongo J, Petrone D et. al., Human anti-IgG1 hingeautoantibodies reconstitute the effector functions of proteolyticallyinactivated IgGs, Journal of Immunology, 2008, 181:3183-3192). A totalof 50 μl of cells were added to the wells of a 96-well plates for afinal concentration of 8×10⁴ cells per well in Iscove's ModifiedDulbecco's Medium (IMDM) with GLUTAMAX™, 10% heat-inactivated PBS, 0.1mM nonessential amino acids, 1 mM sodium pyruvate,penicillin-streptomycin (100 U/ml each). An additional 50 μl was addedto the wells with or without test Abs and plates were incubated at 37°C. for 2 h. A total of 50 μl of 10% rabbit complement (INVITROGEN™) wasadded to the wells, and plates were incubated for 20 min at 37° C. Allsamples were performed in triplicate. The plates were centrifuged at 200g for 3 min, 50 μl of supernatant was removed to separate plates, andCDC was measured with a LDH cytotoxicity detection kit (Roche).Absorbance was measured using a SPECTRAMAX® Plus 384 (PerkinElmer). Datawere normalized to maximal cytotoxicity with Triton X-100(Sigma-Aldrich) and minimal control containing only cells and complementalone. Data were fit to a sigmoidal dose-response model using GRAPHPAD™PRISM™ v6.

Results

The ADCC activities of silent Fc variants were compared. FIG. 11 showsthe combined data from 6 independent experiments that used PBMC effectorcells from a total of 10 donors. At concentrations up to 1 mg/ml, all ofthe Fc mutants showed minimal to no killing of the target cells,relative to the IgG1 control.

Complement-dependent cytotoxicity assays were done using humanTNFα-expressing K2 target cells and rabbit complement to assess whetherany specific killing activity triggered by the Fc mutants could bedetected. As shown in FIG. 12, the IgG1σ sample showed no more activitythan the virus specific control antibody, B12 (anti-HIV, negativecontrol), even at 500 μg/ml—the highest Ab concentration tested. Incontrast, the IgG1 control showed specific killing activity at 0.1μg/ml.

EXAMPLE 9 In Vivo Binding to FcγR

The binding of IgG1σ to FcγRs, relative to the wild type IgG1, wasanalyzed in vivo by assessing the activation of T cells via measuringthe upregulation of CD25 on the cell surface.

Materials. A plasmid encoding a single-chain Fv version of hamsteranti-mouse CD3ε-chain Ab, 145-2C11 (2C11) was kindly provided by Dr.Jeffrey Bluestone (Univ. of Calif., San Francisco). The heavy and lightchain variable region coding sequences in this plasmid were cloned intovectors and transfected into myeloma cells for stable IgG-secretingclonal cell lines. Subsequent 2C11 Ab variants were expressed andprepared using standard methods.

The FcγR-humanized mice were used in the studies. The mice express thedifferent human FcγRs CD16a, CD16b, CD32a, CD32b, and CD64 and haveendogenous mouse FcγRs inactivated (Smith P et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci,109 (2012) 6181-6186). Three strains of these C57BL/6 mice (8-10 wksold) were used: FcRα null females, FcγR-humanized hemizygous (hemi)females, and FcγR-humanized homozygous (homo) females.

Methods. For the in vivo study, three mice from each strain were used.Each antibody (IgG1σ or IgG1) was diluted on the day of injection andtest samples were injected into the intraperitoneal cavity of the miceat 0.5 mg/kg, 10 ml/kg. Approximately 24 h later, mice were euthanizedby CO₂ asphyxiation and their spleens removed and placed into tubescontaining cold RPMI 1640, 5% heat-inactivated fetal bovine serum, 1%L-glutamine.

Mouse splenocytes were prepared as single-cell suspensions from eachindividual spleen on the day of harvest. They were washed once withRPMI-1640 media followed by anucleated red blood cell depletion usinghypotonic RBC lysis solution (EBIOSCIENCES™). They were then analyzed byflow cytometry for the expression of CD25 and CD69, two T cellactivation markers. For that, cells were resuspended in staining bufferconsisting of PBS for viability staining (IR Live Dead, INVITROGEN™),washed, and then in PBS/0.5% BSA/2% heat-inactivated fetal bovine serumwith 0.2% NaN3. To block non-specific staining mediated by Fc receptors,splenocytes were immunostained in the presence of anti-CD16/32 mAb,2.4G2. Immunostaining was done in the presence of APC-CD25, FITC-CD8a,PE-CD4, PerCP-CD69, Vio770-CD3ε (BD Biosciences, BIOLEGEND® orMiltenyi). All immunostaining steps were done at 4° C. for 30 minuteincubations, protected from light, and followed by two washes.

Cells were analyzed on the MACSQUANT® Analyzer (Miltenyi). Data wascollected on 250,000 cells from each sample. Analysis of themultivariate data was performed using FLOWJO™ v10 software (Tree Star).The percent of CD8+ cells that were also positive for CD25 (or CD69)expression was based on data collected from at least 10,000 cells fromeach sample.

Results. IgG1σ and wild type IgG1 variants of the anti-murine CD3antibody, 2C11, were evaluated for FcγR-dependent T cell activation inmice with human FcγR. Three strains of mice with different gene dosageswere analyzed: FcRα null mice (FcγR knockouts), the 5-transgeneFcγR-humanized mice, and the mice hemizygous for the 5 transgenes. TheFcγR-dependent T cell activation model is based on evidence thatactivation of T cells by most anti-CD3 Abs is dependent on Ab binding toFcγR on neighboring cells at the same time that it is bound to CD3 on Tcells (Scallon B et al. International Immunopharmacology, 7(2007)761-772).

Flow cytometric analyses of mouse splenocytes from the three strainsfollowing the treatment with either IgG1σ or IgG1, demonstrated adecrease in the number of activated T-cells (CD8⁺CD25+; also CD8⁺CD69⁺cells which were similar and results not shown) in mice treated withIgG1σ, as compared to that in mice treated with the wild type IgG1 (FIG.13). This decrease was the most robust in the homozygous mice (3.5fold), demonstrating its dependency on the presence of the human FcγR.

What is claimed:
 1. An Fc-containing molecule having decreased affinityfor at least one Fcγ receptor as compared to a wildtype Fc, comprisingan antibody Fc domain with a mutated IgG constant region, wherein aminoacid residues 233, 234, 235, 237, and 238 defined by the EU numberingsystem, comprise a sequence selected from PAAAP (SEQ ID NO: 4), PAAAS(SEQ ID NO:5), and SAAAS (SEQ ID NO:6).
 2. The Fc-containing molecule ofclaim 1, wherein the Fc domain further comprises the mutations H268A orH268Q, V309L, A330S and P331S as defined by the EU numbering system. 3.The Fc-containing molecule of claim 1, wherein the domain is capable ofspecifically binding FcRn.
 4. The Fc-containing molecule of claim 1,wherein the Fc domain sequence is at least 90% identity with the humanIgG2 heavy chain CH2 domain.
 5. The Fc-containing molecule of claim 1,wherein the Fc-containing molecule is an antibody or Fc fusion protein.6. The Fc-containing molecule of claim 1, wherein residue 228 is mutatedfrom S to P.
 7. A recombinant polypeptide based binding moleculecomprising: (i) a binding domain capable of binding a target molecule,and (ii) an Fc domain having an amino acid sequence substantiallyhomologous to all or part of a CH2 and CH3 constant domains of a humanimmunoglobulin heavy chain and wherein residues 233, 234, 235, 237, and238 defined by the EU numbering system, comprise an amino acid sequenceselected from PAAAP, PAAAS, and SAAAS; wherein the binding molecule iscapable of binding the target molecule without triggering significantcomplement dependent lysis, or cell mediated destruction of the target.8. The binding molecule of claim 7, wherein the Fc domain is capable ofspecifically binding FcRn.
 9. The binding molecule of claim 8, whereinthe binding domain is selected from the binding site of an antibody; anenzyme; a hormone; a receptor; a cytokine; an immune cell surfaceantigen; a ligand and an adhesion molecule.
 10. The binding molecule ofclaim 9, wherein the molecule exhibits avidity.
 11. The binding moleculeaccording to any of claims 7-10, wherein the binding domain specificallybinds a target within a neurological tissue, an endocrine tissue, avascular tissue, a cardiac tissue, a synovial tissue, a dermal tissue,or a mucosal tissue.
 12. A method for treating a disease characterizedby the migration and concentration of macrophages, comprisingadministering to a subject or patient an Fc-containing proteinpreparation according to any of claims 1-7.
 13. A method of treatingGraft-vs-host disease; host-vs-graft disease; organ transplantrejection; bone-marrow transplant rejection; autoimmunity, vasculitis,autoimmune haemolytic anaemia, autoimmune thrombocytopenia andarthritis; alloimmunity such as fetal/neonatal alloimmunethrombocytopenia; asthma and allergy; chronic or acute inflammatorydiseases, Crohn's Disease or scleroderma; Alzheimer's Disease, orcoronary artery occlusion comprising administering to a subject orpatient an Fc-containing molecule according to any of claims 1-7.
 14. Amethod for treating a condition comprising administering to a subject orpatient an Fc-containing molecule according to any of claims 1-7,wherein the binding molecule is administered to a patient, or optionallywherein the patient is an unborn infant, to the mother of the patient.15. An Fc-containing molecule having decreased affinity for Fcγreceptors as compared to a wildtype Fc, comprising an antibody Fc domainbased on an IgG2 constant region, wherein amino acid residues 233, 234,235, 237, and 238 defined by the EU numbering system, comprise asequence selected from PAAAP, PAAAS, and SAAAS and further comprisingmutations H268A or H268Q, V309L, A330S and P331S as defined by the EUnumbering system.
 16. A method of altering binding of an IgG2 basedFc-containing molecule to Fcγ receptors as compared to a wildtype IgG2based Fc, comprising altering the sequence of an Fc domain based on anIgG2 constant region at residues 233, 234, 235, 237, and 238 defined bythe EU numbering system, to comprise a sequence selected from PAAAP,PAAAS, and SAAAS, and comprise mutations H268A or H268Q, V309L, A330Sand P331S.
 17. Any invention described herein.